Machine for splitting quills



(No Model.) '2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. H. HOLDEN. MACHINE FOR SPLITTING QUILLS, PEAI'HERS, am, No. 329,167. Patented Oct. 2'7, 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet :2;

J. H. HOLDEN. MAGHINE FOR SPLITTING UILLs, FEATHERS, & No 329,167. Patented Oct. 27, 1885,

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JONAS H. HOLDEN, OF MICHIGAN CITY, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WARREN FEATHERBONE COMPANY, OF OIIIOAGO, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR SPLETTING QUILLS, FEATHERS, (he.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,167, dated October 27, 1885.

Application filed March 7, 1885.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, Jonas H. HOLDEN, residing at Michigan City, in the county of La Porte and State of Indiana, and a citizen of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Splitting Quills, Feathers, &c., of which the following is afull description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a top or plan view; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a vertical cross-section, and Fig. 4 a plan view with the upper guide and knife removed.

The objectof this invention is to provide a machine for splitting quills, feathers, and other substances; and its nature consists in the sev' eral improvements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and claimed as new.

In the drawings Aindicates the base-plate; B, the posts; B, top plates or cross-heads; O, supporting plates for the cutting apparatus; DE, speed-rollers; F, bearingboxes; G, adjusting-screws; H, knife-adjusting screw; I, knife-adjusting nut; J J, driving-pulley; K L, gear-wheels; a, upper guideplate; b, lower guide plate; 0, knife; (I, rear extension on knife; cf 9 h, screws.

The bed or base plate A and the posts B may be cast together or separately formed and connected, as may be most convenient. As shown, the space at each end between the posts B extends to the base-plate, and is fitted to receive the bearing-boxes F of the shafts D and E, and they are connected together with a crossbar or cap-plates B, which are held in place by bolts.

The bearing-boxes are held in place by the adj Listing-screws G, which bear upon the upper ones. By turning these screws down the feed-rollers may be pressed tightly together, and by turning them back a slight space will be formed, so that the upper roller can be lifted to that extent by the material passing between them, and the cogs of the gearwheels K L are made of a sufficient length to admit of a slight adjustment without throwing them out of gear.

The support 0 is made of a proper height to bring the lower guide-plate, b, to its proper 50 position in relation to the roller E. This Serial No. 158,109. (No model.)

guide-plate is attached to the support 0 by the screws 6, and its front or receiving edge is rounded off, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.. The upper guide-plate, a, is similarly constructed, and is attached to the support 0 by the screws 5 5 h, and the space between these plates is adjusted by means of the screws f and g, and by the use of these screws a kind of rocking adj ustment is obtained that is either front or rear, and they may be separately adjusted, so as to vary the space, by making it narrower forward and wider back, or the reverse. The knife 0 is located between these guideplates, and it is held in position by the screws 9, passing through it. The knife is rounded, so that its highest or thickest portion is in line with the screws 9, and at one end it is provided with a projection, d, which projects backward sufficiently far to come in contact with the adjusting-nut I, which is slotted to receive it, 0 as shown at Fig. 2. Theknife being rounded,

as stated, it can be rocked so as to bring its edge up or down in its relation to the guideplates or the space between them, and this ad justment is effected by turning the screw H, 7 which raises or lowers the nut I, and the nut I is prevented from turning around or shifting its position by being made to fit against the edge of the base B, as shown in Fig. 4. By this arrangement the knife can be adjusted to split the quills or feathers fed in exactly in the middle, or nearer to either one of the guideplates than to the other, as may be found desirable in use.

The adj ustingscrew H may be threaded its 8 5 entire length, as shown at Fig. 2, or only partially, as shown in Fig. 3. The line of the knife-edge is just in rear of the narrowest portion of the guide-plates, so that the material being operated upon is freely delivered,and the 0 machine is without the liability of clogging.

In operation the quills or other material to be split are fed in by the rollers D E, and are delivered to the knife 0 by the guideplates a b, while the rollers furnish the power to drive 5 the quill through and split it, or, when nearly split, that it can be finished by the attendant taking hold behind the knife.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 10( 1. The knife 0 and guide-plates a b, in comwith the guide-plates a I), adj listing-screws h, 10 bination with the rollers D E, substantially as knife 0, adjusting-nut I, and adjusting-screws specified. H, all constructed and arranged substantially 2. The rocking knife 0, having the projecas set forth.

5 tions (1, in combination with the adjusting-nut I and adj lasting-screw H, substantially as de- JONAS L scribed. Witnesses:

3. The combination and arrangement of the WILBERT S. OUTsHAW, rollers D E, adj USt-iDg-SCIGWS G, and support 0 EDWARD K. WARREN. 

